Drying apparatus



May 21, 1935.

G, E. BAROZZI DRYING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 27, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOB EuIDo .BARO Z-l a. W ATTORNEYS.

May 1 G. E. BAROZZI 2,002,170

DRYING APPARATUS Filed OCt. 27, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 myz.

INVENTOR Euvoo I.:BAROZZ\ Y MW ATTORNEYS May 21, 1935.

e. E. BAROZZI DRYING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 27, 1933 3 Sheets-sheaf 3 INVENTOR E moo I.:BAROZZI ATTORNEY Patented May 21, 1935 hl l cation October 27,

A $.Glaims. f The invention relates to drying apbaratus' and has for its" object to provide an apparatus'of this type adapted particularly for the drying of moist or 'wet materialflor for the gaseous treatmentof matter'in 'bullgand further contemplates the production offsuch anapparatus which is simple' i'n construction andflof maximum 'eificiencyfinbperatiom O'thermore specific objects will appear froni'the, description hereinafter and the featuresbf novelty will be pointed out'in the claims.

Inthe accompanying drawings whichillustrate an example of "the invention without 'defining its"limits,Fig. 1 is a front elevation of thddrying apparatus with parts broken'away; F1g."2 is a fragmentary sectional elevation Fig. 3 is across-section onthe line 3 -3 of Fig l and Fig lisaplan view.

The apparatusconsistsjofa housing In of suitable dimensionsland constructed of materials consistent with the matter" to bedriedortreated, said housing in the illustratedexamplebeing of generally rectangular forrn with its upper portion converging upwardly "as illustrated in Fig, 3. In its preferred form' the housing is divided into a plurality of independent sections by airtight partitions l l; theexample illustrated in thedrawings showing two sections A' andB; with the distinctunderstanding that the number of sectionsmay be increased and thatjin some arrangernentsa single section may constitute the complete' apparatusjin additiona complete inst'allation may consist of a plurality of sections, such as-A and B, arranged independently of each other instead of being combined in the form-of unit as shown in the drawings. "In" any case each-section is divided into two chambers or compartments l2ian'd I? by means of a partition M' which extends from? the top "of the apparatus to a point at adistance from'thebottom thereof, so as to provide an opening at the lower end of said partition through which communic'ation'is established betweenthe chambersllz' and I3. "The chambers orcompartments j 12 and: I3 are normally-closed by one or'more air-tight'doors 1-6 or the like, whichmay beread- "bers l2 and I3 are provided with preferably screened openings l8 located for instance in the doors "16' at; the L lower ends "thereof; and with openings [9 located in one ofthe wallsof said o t e s P e l n figh w t m 1923', -sehhwo.-69s;4vs

(or. same r dp'e'hms It; the o enings la in the preferred arrangement are controlled by 'rneans of Icon-1 ventional may em which are pivotally mounted 'toflopeninwardly and. to swing outwardly to closed positions'.fl At their upperiportions the chambers orlcompartmentsifl and I3 are provided with airbhannelsllfand 22" having outer open ends located eitteriorly of the housing H) as' shown inFigsQ 1"; 21 and Band controlled by' louvres and 24 Itespactively which are piV- otally mounted so as to close outwardly and to openinvv ardly into said channels?! and 22 respectivel yl .The channels [2L and 22 whichfas shown 'i nTigs, I and 2,1"project toward each other; terminate at their in'rierj {ends in downwardly di rected ,ektens ionsi 25 and 26" which open ra (at-nar mm, the chambers la. and" 13. As slidw ih Figs; 1"and2", the partition ll of each section A and B e'ligtends upwardly between the inner endsl of said channels Zlfahd 22p and is provided withan rip ning 21' in which a"fan 2a is rotatahlyfn ounted, the arrangement being such that'thef an' Z8 is located, contiguous'to the extensibljm QT- 31K125 oi? the all? channels 2| and 22; obviously other devi'cesf'for developing 'air currents may be substituted for the fans 28 and it is' accordingly to be understood that the latter ,are intended to exemplifi all suitable types of. such devices. fan 28 or its equivalent may baindependently connected with a suitable actuatingmechanisih orall of thefans or equiv-'- alentdevices' of an apparatusfconsistingfof a plurality ofsecitions such as A' and B ma be connected with a single, source 0t power. The illustrated example shows two fans 28 mounted upon a seamen shaft 29 suitably journalled irythel housing." andfconnectedcby means of a chain d'rive or the lfik e 'w with an electric motor 3.l;as,shown in Fi'glkl the chain drive 30 and the motor 3| 'arelocated, exteriorly of the housing Ill; themotor being supported upona suitable shelforbracket3'2 fixed upon saidIhousing at a convenient int. While the illustrated example showst e fansjnand the air channels 2| and 2 2locatedatthe upper parts of the chambers 12 and 13; it will be understood thatin "some cases] it maybe found desirable to locate said fans and air channels at the lower par-ts of said chambers; any case, the fans 28.01 their "equivalents. are of suchatype that" the air current's' produced thereby may .be' reversed their direction pr movement either by @reversiri'g the directio n' of rotation of the farts or by otherwise mahi umtine the same ontheir equivalents; "'In'addition to the adjustable deflecting members 33 located in the chambers I2 and I3 and pivotally mounted at 34 upon the housing II] in any convenient manner; the adjustment of thedeflecting members 33 is facilitated by externally located devices which in addition may be constructed in a manner to co-operate with externally located segments 36 to lock said deflecting members 33 in their adjusted positions. The material to .be treated in the apparatus may be introduced into the chambers or compartments I2 and I3 in any suitable manner as for instance by being placed upon trays 31 arranged to be stacked upon suitable t rucks 38 dimensioned and arranged to pass through the spaces normally closed. by the doors I5, when the latter are open as illustrated in Fig. 1.

With the arrangement set forth the fans 28 which constitute means for producing currents of air are'located so as to be common to the chambers I2 and I3 of each section of the apparatus as is clearly shown in Fig. 2. In practice therefore, the fans when operated will produce counter-currents of fair in adjacent chambers I2 and ,I3; that is, if the fans 28 are actuated in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, an upward current of air will be developed in the chamber I3 asindicated by the arrows a anda downward current of air will be produced in the "chamber I2 as indicated by the arrows b therein.Under'such conditions a predetermined amount of additional fresh air or its equivalent will be drawn through the air channels 22 and added to the current of air which passes downwardly in the chamber I2, the louvres 24" under such conditions being autom'atically swung to their open position to permit the entrance of such'additional air into the channel 22. At the same time the pressure of the air developed in the opposed'air channel 2| will act upon the louvres 23thereof, toautomatically force the same to a closed position so that no air may pass'outwardly through said channel 2i; in other words, the' control of the air channels 2I and 22 by the louvres 23 and 24 is efiected in inverse relation. The deflecting members 33 which previously have been adjusted to the desired'po-sitions serveto divide the air currents and particularly the downwardly directed air' currents so as to evenly distribute the same over the chamber I2 or I3 as the case may be. It will be understood that the air which passes upwardly in the chamber I3 is drawn into the same through the openings I8 and I9 at the lower portions thereof, while the air which passes downwardly in the chamber I2 flows outwardly through the openings I8 alone; this is due to the fact thatthepressure exerted by the currents of air acts upon the louvres 20 which control the openings I9 in a manner to close the same. h

From the above it will be obvious that the fan or fans or equivalent devices cause a current of air or its equivalent to, rise in one or more chambers .or compartments and to be augmented at an intermediate point by an additional supply of air entering through one of the air channels 2"! or 22 and then in this augmented condition passing downwardly to the adjoining chamber or chambers and through the openings I8 to a point exterior to the housing II]. By reversing the direction of rotation of the fans 28 or by otherwise manipulating the same or the equivalent devices,the' direction of flow of the air currents in parts so far described, the apparatus includes the chambers I2 and I3 may be reversed from that indicated in Fig. 2; that is, the air or its equivalent may be caused to flow upwardly in the chamber I2 and downwardly in the chamber I3 in which case the predetermined amount of additional air will be supplied through the air channel 2i, and the air channel 22 under such conditions will be closed to the atmosphere by the louvres 24. The deflecting members 33 may be adjusted to horizontal positions to function as closures for predetermined portions of the chambers I2 and I3 if this should for any reason become desirable.

In any case the material being treated, for instance the material contained in the trays 37 on the trucks 38, may be subjected to the action of a current of air travelling in a given direction or if desired, it may receive additional treatment by currents of air travelling in the opposite direcopening the doors I6 and. then wheeling out the trucks 38 or otherwise removing said material from said compartments. The apparatus is of compact form in that it consists of two or more chambers or compartments combined in the form of a unit'in such a manner that counter-currents of air or the like may be produced in each chamber by a single fan or equivalent device. The apparatus further includes a system of automatically controlled air or, gas intake ports, so that additional air or gas may be admitted without loss excepting through predetermined channels or outlets. This arrangement provides for the simultaneous treatment of material in two or more compartments or chambers, so that air or equivalent gas which already'has done its work in one chamber'is augmented by the addition of a supply of fresh air or gas and then directed in a manner to perform its functions in an adjacent chamber before discharge or recirculation. The action of the apparatus is thus veryeflicient and permits thematerial to be subjected to athorough and uniform drying action or other treatment, the apparatus being particularly adapted for drying macaroni, noodles and the like. It will be obvious that the medium circulated by the fans 25. or their equivalent through the compartments I2 and I3 may be some gaseous medium other than air and may, if desired, comprise any gas having predetermined properties particularly adapted for the treatment to which the material is to be subjected in the apparatus. The terms drying and air as utilized in the description are thus intended to have a broad significance and the claims are to be construed accordingly.

Various changes in the specific form shown and described may be madewithin the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A drying apparatus comprising a pair of chambers divided by a central wall having openings at opposite ends so that said chambers communicate with each other at each end, reversible means for producing a current of air mounted in one of said openings, means allowing admission of air but preventing expulsion of air from the chambers mounted in each chamber at the end adjacent said current producing means, other means allowing admission of air but preventing r expulsion of air from the chambers mounted in each chamber adjacent the other end, said chambers each having an opening allowing passage of air in either direction at the end of the chamber remote from said current producing means.

2. A drying apparatus comprising a pair of vertical chambers divided by a vertical central wall having upper and lower openings so that said chambers communicate with each other at each end, reversible means for producing a curhaving a screened opening allowing passage of air in either direction at the end of the chamber remote from said current producing means.

3. A drying apparatus comprising a pair of chambers divided by a central wall having openings at opposite ends so that said chambers communicate with each other at each end, reversible means for producing a current of air mounted in one of said openings, means allowing admission of air but preventing expulsion of air from the chambers mounted in each chamber at the end adjacent said current producing means, other means allowing admission of air but preventing expulsion of air from the chambers mounted in each chamber adjacent the other end, said chambers each having an opening allowing passage of air in either direction at the end of the chamber remote from said current producing means, a deflector plate in each chamber pivotally mounted at one end centrally in the chamber adjacent said current producing means, and means for tilting said plate to change the angle of deflection of the air currents.

GUIDO E. BAROZZL 

